Plug and receptacle connector systems often are used to interconnect printed circuit boards to multi-conductor cables. Heretofore, grounding the shield of a cable has been accomplished by using a drain wire to connect the cable shield, through a connector, to a ground trace of the printed circuit board. Problems are encountered with grounding drain wires because they are difficult to manipulate, and often become damaged or deformed.
Some plug and receptacle connector systems are of a type having a single elongated connector provided with a plurality of receptacles for receiving a plurality of plugs. Keying, i.e. coding similarly configured connectors such that the correct connector is mated into a correct receptacle, heretofore has been achieved by retrofitting a plastic shroud to a standard elongated header, the shroud having keyways that accept unprotected keys integrally molded on the plug connectors. Retrofitting requires an additional component, and the unprotected keys often are broken to confuse the keying system.
Polarizing, i.e. assuring that a particular plug connector is properly oriented with respect to its corresponding receptacle of the multi-receptacle connector, often is not provided at all in such connector systems.
This invention is directed to providing an plug and socket electrical connector system wherein a plurality of plug connectors are receivable in a plurality of receptacles of a socket connector, wherein effective electromagnetic shielding and grounding may be provided, along with a reliable keying system and polarizing system, all of which is significant in view of the increased use of shielded cables in high speed applications.